Apparatus for dehydrating crude oils



Dec. 25, 1928.

Filed JanfBl. 1925 .x-nzl 6 fev M37 il l /6 L 26' l l 7) 24 n E o I9 l24e la 42/ 35 L L r Ano 26 60 62, 6l 6 n 5 y INVENToR. WILLIAM L. PALMER4, BY j Vw u r ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 25, 1928..

UNITED sTATE's WILLIAM LEE PALMER, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF TO REGAN FORGE & ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF HAN PEDRO,CALIFORNIA, A ACOIR- PORATION 0F CALIFORNIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR DEHYDRATING CRUDE OILS.

Application -led January 4amounts is usually associated'therewith 'in anemulsiied state. In some Wells. the oils contain such large percentagesof water as.

to effect their merchantable qualities, and further, when thepercentages are large the cost of removing the same is almostprohibitive.

By utilizing the improved apparatus hereinafter described, the water andother foreign matter contained in crude oils may be quickly andeconomically removed therefrom.

It is a main object of this invention to provide an apparatus foreconomically removing the water normally associated in petroleum oils asobtained from Wells in order to render the same of commercial value, andat the same time to remove the major portion of foreign substances suchas sand and dirt therefrom. o A further ob'ect is to provide anapparatus in which t e crude oils may be effectually treated todehydrate the same, the apparatus being so arranged that thetreatment iscontinuous. e

A still further Objectis to provide an apparatus for dehydrating crudeoils in which the valved water discharge outlets leading therefrom maybe quickly and accurately regulated before or during the operation ofthe apparatus according to the various percentages of water contained inthe. oils being treated.

In the drawings attached hereto and forming a part of the specication,is illustrated a form pf an apparatus that may be conveniently andeconomically employed in practicing my improved method of remov- 1ngexcess (pliantities of Water from crude oils, in whic Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic plan view ofthe.

separator.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial section through the rotary portion of theapparatus.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the oil intake end of theapparatus.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the rotary-pore tion of the apparatusillustrating diagrammatically the method of separating thewater from thecrude oil.

Referring more specifically tothe 'draw s1, 1925.- serial No. 6,021.`

ings, the form of apparatus I em loy in practicing my method consistsbroadly of a heating means for the crude oils as delivered from thewells, (the natural gases being first removed therefrom) a rotary drumor cylinder and means for rotating the same, the heated oilsbeingsprayed into the rapidly revolving drum which sets up a centrifugalaction of the oils, the. denser elements contained in the oils, such aswater and other foreign substances, being thrown outwardly from the'center of the rapidly revolving mass towards the periphery of thedarum, from whence they issue through valve controlled outlet ports andare thence conveyed the reception of a hollow trunnion 9, that is`disposed in an anti-friction bearing 10 rigidly secured to a base plate11, or other suitable foundation. The end of the trunnion beyond thebearing 10 is disposed in a stuiing box construction 12 of usual form.

Closure head 6 is exactly similar'in con-- y. struction to head 7 exceptthat its cylindrical wall is slightly longer in order to provide spaceforv the operation of a reci rocating valve mounted therein. Secure inthreaded engagement with the flanged openingy 14V of the head 6, is a`hollowtrunnion 15 disposed in an anti-friction bearing 16 like thebearing at the opposite end, and is secured to the base .plate 11. Theend of trunnion 15 is rotated in a stuffing box 17` The open endofstufling box 12 is threaded interiorly for the reception of-a nipple-18 which carries an L-fitting 19, `a fluid supply pipe 20 leadingtherefrom and is connected to a Icylindrical-heater member 21 adapted tolheatthe crudel oil before it is delivered to the dehydratin casing. Theupper endof l the heater mem er 21 communicates with an oil' supply tank22, the crude oil being first passed through a gas trap (not shown)toremove the excess natural gas therefrom. It will be understood thatthis apparatus will not require settling tanks or any other equipmentnot here shown, but can be connected stuffing box 12 is provided with acylintion of the applaratus.

drical oil discharge pipe 30, the outer end of the pipe being closed andprovided in its peripheral wall with a plurality of perforations 31adapted to discharge the crude oil vfrom the storage tank 22 in the formof a spray to the interior of the dehydrating cylinder. By spraying thecrude oil into the cylindrical dehydrating casing 5, the flow of oil tothe cylinder will be checked and will start its whirling action at theinlet end of the drum. Further as the dischar e pipe 3() is stationaryand the drum is rapid y.

revolving the oil passing through the perforations 31 of pipe 3() underpressure, the Water, emulsion and foreign substances will bethrown'outwardly toward the peripheral wall of theu drum, while the oilbeing of lighter specific gravity will iow towards the center from oneend of the cylinder to the other.

Connected to the stuiling box 17 at the discharge en d of the cylinder 5is a T connection 35, one o ening of the T bein closed by a plug 36, wile its oppositely lsposed opening is. connected- 'by a pipe 37 to astorage tank 38, or other suitable place of inal disposition.

The water discharge member 13 is secured to the base 11 in any suitablemanner, and surroundsthe outer end' of the head 6, a plurality of uiddischarge ports 41 formed in the inclined end Wall of the headconducting the water from the casingl to the discharge chamber duringanopera- A similar chambered water disc arge member 42 is secured to thebase 11 and'surrounds the casing 5,

its circular chamber 43 receiving the water separated from the crude oilthrough a plu-- rality of ports 44 formed in th`e wallof'..the

' casing 5.

In order to control the fluid 'discharge ports 41, 44, formed in thehead-6 and casing 5, a valve control mechanism is provide preferablyconsisting of a pair of valves 45,

46, having a valve operating rod or stem 47 secured thereto, the outerend of said stem being provided with a hand wheel 48 of usual form.Valve 45 is o/ conical formation rovided at its apex with a hollowcylindrical stem 49 formed' integrally there-' with and isreciprocatingly mounted within the hollow trunnion 15 of the casing. Theperipheral edge 50 of the hollow cone valve 1s bevelled and engages thebevelled seat on the end of the casing when operated to close the portsin the head that lead tothe discharge 'member 13. Stem 49 is rigidlyconnected to the valve stem or rod 47 by means of' a pin 51 or othersuitable connecting means in order that the valve may be reciprocated onan operation of the stem to open or close the ports formed in the casinghead. Mounted within the casing 5 adjacent the water discharge chamber42, is a valve 46, consisting of an open ended cylinder, one end 53being of less diameter Vthan its other end v54 Whose external diameteris slightly less than the internal diameter of the casing. By formingthe valve end 53 of less diameter than the internal diameter of thecasing an annular passageway 55 is formed between the'wall of the valveand casing to the ports 44 formed in the casing and leading to the Waterdiss charge chamber. Valve 46 is rigidly secured to the free end of thevalve stem by means of a pin 56 in orderthat it may be reciprocatedsimultaneously with Valve 45, to open and close the fluid dischargeports of the casing.

As the crude oils or emulsions as delivered from the wells containvarying amounts ofv water, I have found it to be advisable be foreintroducing the same to the dehydratind apparatus to test the same inorder to deIinitely ascertain the percentages of water carried therein.Thus if the oil to be treated is found to contain 25% of water, thevalves of the apparatus are pulled forwardly to uncover the ports 44,leading to the water discharge chamber 43, and at the same timeunseating the conical valve 45, Ato permit of a free and unrestrictediow of the water to the ports 41 formed in the casinghead 7. Should itbe ascertained that the oil to 'be treated carries only a smallpercentage of water, say 10%, t e ports controlled by the valves 45,46,*are only slightly opened, thus preventing the discharge of valuableoil with thev water through the erts.

Each of the water discharge chambers 13, 42, have outlet pipes 60connected thereto,

the' pipes. being connected by-l a horizontally derstood that any otherconvenient'and economical means for driving the same may be employed.-

In the operation of the yapparatus the crude oils are first treated toremove the excess natural gases contained therein Aby means of asuitable apparatus, such as a gas tra-.p (not shown). The oils are thenintroduced into .the heater 21 by gravity or a force pump dependingentirely upon the condition under which the apparatus is o-perating. Themotor 65 is then set in operation to rapidly revolve the casing, thespeed of rotation depending entirely upon the gravity of the oils beingtreated. As the crude oils enter the casing through the perforated pipe30 they will be sprayed under pressure thereinto -at the intake end, thewater and foreign substances which are heavier than the oils will bethrown outwardly towards the wall of the casing, while the oils whichare of lighter gravity will be caused to flow towards the center of thecasing passing forwardly t`o the outlet end t through the sleeve 49, andthence through 'pipe 87 to the place of final disposition.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a simple andeiicient apparaltus for dehydrating crude oils asproduced from thewells, the centrifugal force applied to the oil bodies forcing thewater-and `other` foreign matter of greater specificgravity associatedtherewith outwardly toward the periphery of the revolving mass, where itis discharged through ports, the valuable oils thus freed from theexcess water and foreign matter passing to convenient storagerecetacles. 4

'l e apparatusdescribed is extremely simple in construction andoperation, requiring very little attent-ion, as there are only twobearings which may be packed with oil or heavy grease, thus insuring anoperation of l the apparatus for long periods without re'- quiringattention other than a regulation of the water discharge outlets. What Iclaim is:

4l. An apparatus for dehydrating crude oils'v comprising an elongatedcylindrical drum and means for rotating the same, means to v feed theoils to be treated to said drum,

means to preheat the. oils before the Vsame are -fed to the drum, said.drum having water discharge outlets therein` and an oil outlet leadingtherefrom, and a pair of valvesdisposed within the drum for controllingthe water discharge outlets, whereby the treated oils and Waterseparated thereform will be discharged :separately and continuously fromthe-drum during its operation. Y

2. An apparatus for dehydrating crude oilsand removing foreign mattertherefrom comprising a cylindrical casing having an Yoil inlet leadingthereto, an elongated perforated pipe connected to said inlet anddisposed within said casing f or spraying the oil on its introductionthereto, said casing having an' oil discharge outlet leading therevwater discharge chambers enclosing said water discharge ports, and pipelines leading from said water discharge chambers.`

4. An apparatus for removing water and foreign substance from' crudeoils com rising an elongated cylinder having an oil lnlct at one end andan oil discharge outlet at its other end, means to rotate said cylinder,said cylinder having water discharge ports in its cylindrical Wall andvalve means disposed within the cylinder for controlling the same,

said valve means being readily operable d'uring the operation of theapparatus whereby the treated oils will flow through and out the centerof the casing while the water separated therefrom will be dischargedthrough the water discharge ports in the wall'of said casing.

5. An apparatus for dehydrating crude oils consisting of a revolvablecylinder having fluid inlet and outlet ports, said cylinder having waterdischarge ports arranged lin groups, a pair of reciprocating valvesdisposed within said cylinder, a valve for each group of dischargeports, and means to reciprocatey said valves simultaneously to regulatethe size of the ports, the separated oils and water being dischargedcontinuously during the operation of the apparatus.

6. An apparatus for removing water and 4foreign matter from crudepetroleum oils,

consisting of a revolvable'cylinder having an oil inlet and a dischargeoutlet, a pipe having a plurality of perforations secured to the oilinlet opening for introducing the oil under pressure into the cylinderin sprayed form, aplurality of water discharge outlets leading from saidcylinder, and valves to control said outlets, the discharge' of oil andwater from the cylinder being continuous during theoperation oftheapparatus.

In witness that' I claim the fore ing I have hereunto subscribed my nametlis 14th {day-of January, 1925.`

WILLIAM LEE PALMER.

